The Price of Power
by tsundoku
Summary: He desires both love and power, but he cannot have both. A telling of the day Zed left the Kinkou. [One Shot, Zedkali, Akali's perspective]


**.:The Price of Power:.**

...

Akali tossed her head back, mind so entranced by the pleasure her lover offered her that she could do little but moan as he moved against her. Her breaths came out in little clouds, the hot air condensing the moment it entered the wintery atmosphere. As cold as it was, she failed to notice even as an icy draft sneaked into her room. Her skin burned against his, and with their lips locked together, she felt his urgency. It was warranted; after all, he was leaving on another long mission tomorrow. With only a single night to spend together, they'd make the most out of it as much as they could.

In the early morning, she woke up in alarm to the faint sound of shouting and the sharp clangs of blades clashing. Kicking the blankets off her, she hurried to get dressed as she eyed the empty bed where he'd been just hours ago. Whatever was happening out there, she wondered if he was still here to help defend the temple. Running outside, she found it was just _him_ and the master's son sparring on the snow-covered temple grounds – no doubt just a practice spar before he left on his mission, but why they hadn't gone to the training fields was an oddity. Even stranger was the way he fought him; his moves were different somehow, and sometimes he melded into the shadows so well she couldn't believe her eyes.

Her lips parted with awe as he pinned the master's son into a snow bank with a long blade at his throat. It was impossible. Neither of them have ever won during their fights; it was supposed to end in a draw. It always, _always_ did. Her heart swelled up with pride to see that the young man, both her teacher and her lover, had improved to possess such great ability. She stepped forward, nearly out of the shadows of her residence; she was intent on congratulating him and expressing her relief that he hadn't yet left for his mission, but froze into place when the master appeared before the pair. The Eye of Twilight, a man unfeeling, looked _furious_.

Fear coursed through her, and she held her breath as the master's gaze met her own for a split second before he brought his attention to the pair before him. Of course he would know immediately that she was here. Quietly slipping back into her residence and hiding beside the doorway, she listened for the master's voice. He remained silent for a long time, and knowing the young ninja pair, they were intelligent enough not to say anything.

When he finally spoke, she felt her blood run cold and dread filled her. Her body shook with anger, with betrayal, with despair, as she heard her love shout at the master and his son, proclaiming all he did was to win over the master's approval. She clenched her fists, knowing that that was no excuse to access the forbidden techniques, the Art of the Shadows. And yet, her heart was bleeding for him, yearning for her to beg the master to forgive what he'd done. She heard him, her love, roar in frustration and agony as the master commanded him to leave, banished him from the Order.

Hot tears collected in her eyes and her back slid down the wall until she hit the floor. She could not question the Eye's decision, could not let anyone know she was affected by her love's departure. What they shared together was forbidden; they were meant to be unfeeling, meant to be nothing but cold-blooded killers that kept the balance. She could hear him break out into a run, the sound of snow crunching beneath his shoes fading until it was utterly, painfully silent. Her hand gripped at her chest, the emotional pain turning physical, but she waited until she was in the safety of her room, wrapped in the blankets that still smelled of him, before she balled up and cried.

...

 _A/N: Thanks for reading! This was a quick little one shot I wrote on a whim. Leave a fave/review if you enjoyed! I always love hearing back from my readers; keeps me motivated to write. Also, if you're here because you're a fan of my other stories, I do not currently have plans to continue any of them at the moment, but I am considering re-writing a few. It's been many years since I last posted, so I apologize for my long hiatus. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of my comeback~_


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